The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in California allowed President Donald Trump’s executive order blocking the processing of refugee applications to take effect on Tuesday. However, the order states that processing of individuals conditionally approved for refugee status before the executive order was issued must continue. The executive order effectively suspends the [...]

Amnesty International warned against a “chilling verdict” returned by a North Dakota jury on Thursday in a lawsuit against Greenpeace. The verdict orders Greenpeace, an environmental advocacy organization, to pay Energy Transfer, a fossil fuel company, $660 million US in defamation liability. Amnesty International described the jury’s verdict as “chilling” according to its “severe implications for [...]

A federal judge for the Southern District Court of New York found on Wednesday that the court does not have the proper jurisdiction to hear the merits of detained student activist Mahmoud Khalil’s petition regarding his arrest by ICE agents, moving the case to the District of New Jersey where Khalil’s challenge to his arrest, [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit denied the Trump administration’s motion to stay a preliminary injunction on Tuesday, continuing to block the administration from enforcing an executive order to end birthright citizenship. The plaintiffs constitute 18 US states, including Massachusetts, while the defendants are Trump and other government officials. The district court [...]

The Iowa Senate and House of Representatives (House) passed a bill on Thursday that will remove protection from discrimination on “gender identity” grounds from the Iowa Code, effectively restricting transgender rights. The Senate cleared Senate File (SF) 418 with a 33-15 vote and transferred the bill to the House, which voted 60-36 in favor of [...]

The US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down several provisions in two Arizona laws on Tuesday that required residents to provide documentary proof of citizenship (DPOC) to vote in elections. The plaintiffs include several nonprofits, the Democratic National Committee, the Arizona Democratic Party, and three federally recognized native tribes. The defendants include Arizona state [...]

Three human rights organizations filed a lawsuit against US President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday, claiming his recent executive orders “falsely assert” that diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives are “illegal.” The plaintiffs are the National Urban League, the National Fair Housing Alliance, and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. They claim that three of [...]

The US Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis affirmed a preliminary injunction on Tuesday, which blocks former President Joe Biden’s student debt relief plan from taking effect. The plaintiffs in the case are the states of Missouri, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Dakota, Ohio and Oklahoma. The defendants include President Donald Trump and Denise [...]

Twnety-seven religious groups filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), among various government officials, challenging a new immigration enforcement policy near places of worship. The plaintiffs, faith-based groups  in the Jewish and Christian traditions, brought the lawsuit after a “Recession Memo” was released [...]

A judge for the US District Court for the District of Maryland granted a preliminary injunction at a hearing on Wednesday against President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end all birthright citizenship. The plaintiffs, CASA, Inc., Asylum Advocacy Project, and five pregnant mothers under pseudonyms, filed the lawsuit against Trump, among other government officials, [...]